Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Check it Out

But the angel said to them (the Shepherds) “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11 (NIV)

Depending on the circumstances surrounding the declaration, some but not all birth announcements come with good news and great joy. The people receiving the direct notice are usually family members and friends that are close to the pregnant mother. With the shepherds that night it was a different story, not knowing who Mary or Joseph were they were the ones chosen to get the good news. Evidently what they did have was some knowledge of the prophecy regarding the upcoming birth of the Savior, Christ the Lord, if that wasn’t what drove them to Bethlehem then the appearance of the angels had them so curious that they decided that they wanted to go and check this thing out which the Lord told them about.

When my first grandchild was born, after spending hours in the labor room with our daughter, when I finally got to come out with the good news I wandered over to a family in the waiting room thinking it was my husband’s Aunt, I told them the news before my husband appeared around a different partition. The people I talked with didn’t know who I was or who my daughter was either, once they heard the news I didn’t notice any of them going to “check it out” and to see the new born baby girl. The angels that night were not in some sort of shock after being with Mary all night going through labor pains, they knew exactly what they were doing and who they were speaking to.

We also have been given the good news of great joy. The birth announcement is still out there today, it’s not tucked away in some scrapbook or memory bank its there for us to receive and respond to like the Shepherds did as they went looking for Christ the child. Today it’s Christ the Savior that we are to go searching for that still comes with first-rate news of great delight. The good news is the salvation and grace that He brought with Him to share with all who wanted it. The great joy being the fact that we’ve been rescued, help at last was on its way. We have someone who came and is coming back to take us home to the place that is being prepared for us today as we speak. The good news and great joy is the knowing that it’s our turn to be able to see the Lord.

We shouldn’t need a band of angels or great company of the heavenly host to show up to try and get us to go and find Christ the Savior. The shepherds needed them to get out the initial birth announcement but that is no longer the case as we have already heard now its time to go and “check it out.” We can’t be like the man in the New Testament that said, “Wait, let me go bury my father first then I will come.” We don’t have time to make a stop at Starbucks along the way, we don’t have time to run the errands we wanted to get done first, we don’t have the time to make the excuses we would like to make to postpone the trip or delay it all together of going out to find the Lord. No the time is now to go in the quickness the Shepherds did that night and “check it out” this wonderful news of Christ our Savior opening the gate to heaven for all to enter who took the time to “check it out.”

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward man!”

Precious Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son for us to find, love, and follow. Forgive us dear Lord for the times in life that we get side-tracked and fail to check out the many blessings that You have for us that are never-ending. We love you Father, and thank you for loving us. Amen.


© 2006 by Karen J. Gillett

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